Romula and Remus
by HydroJen
Summary: Remus Lupin is alone until a young woman with a familiar secret finds her way into his life. Rated M for language and anything naughty that might happen future chapters - RL/OC
1. Interesting Beginnings

This is my first Lupin fan fiction - he is the best Harry Potter character by far! I've decided not to mention Tonks...not yet, anyway. I'm not sure where I'm gunna go with the story, but I would appreciate reviews to know what you think of my first published fan fiction. Rated M for language and anything naughty that might happen in future chapters ;)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from Harry Potter, although the character Romula is my own creation.

--

Lupin let out a long, tired sigh. He stroked the stubble on his chin, and then scratched the aching scars on his arm. The warmth of the fire made him feel slightly more relaxed than he usually did; the full moon had only been a few days ago, and he was still feeling the effects. If someone were to look at him more closely, they'd think he wasn't old as such, more middle-aged. His blue eyes still had a bright look about them, and in some lights you could see a gold hint in them. When he rarely laughed and smiled, he had a youthful look about him; like an echo of when he was a boy back in school. But he looked worn out. His mousy-brown hair had grey streaks running through it, he looked a lot thinner than was strictly healthy, and fresh scratches were prominent across his face. All unfortunate side-effects from his 'problem'.

He took a sip of beer, ran his hand through his hair and went back to reading his book. Life was hard for Lupin, and enjoying a good book by the fire of his favourite pub was one of the few pleasures he still had.

The door to _The Leaky Cauldron_ creaked open, and there was a short cold draft as someone stepped inside and hastily closed the door behind them. Lupin only glanced over his book, but recognized a person he'd seen a few times before.

It was a woman. Mid-thirties, Lupin had guessed, but now thought she was perhaps a little younger. But he hadn't paid much more attention than that. She wore long, trailing, deep purple robes that appeared to be too heavy for her, with their huge hood almost completely hiding her face. She carried a book and a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ in her left hand and seemed to be rummaging around for some money in her right. What was most interesting about her, that Lupin had failed to notice, was that she appeared to have a familiar tired, worn look about her – more tired then he'd seen her before.

The woman walked over to the bar nervously and ordered some beer. Whilst she waited for it to come, she was looking around cautiously, still keeping her face hidden, and noticed Lupin across the room. Once her drink came, she paid Tom and Lupin watched her take it to the large armchair opposite him. She placed the newspaper, along with her book, on the same table he was using and slumped into the chair, careful not to spill her drink. She took a long, un-ladylike gulp and placed the beer next to her other things on the table. She had a big stretch, and whilst she was distracted, Lupin took a quick look at the front page of _The Daily Prophet. _It read:

**DUMBLEDORE: DAFT OR DANGEROUS?**

He shook his head. The Ministry of Magic had taken over _The Daily Prophet_ as a form of propaganda. The truth was that the Minister knew what had happened at the time of the last war against the Dark Lord. Many people lost the things most dear to them. Although the evidence was clear and the signs the same as last time with disappearances of Ministry members, suspicious deaths, odd occurrences - the Minister couldn't, or wouldn't, see reason.

The woman picked up the _Prophet_ and read the article for herself. Lupin didn't expect any reaction from her; most people tended to believe what they read. But she seemed to get frustrated, frowning and shaking her head. Lupin couldn't help but over-hear her muttering, "No, you bloody fools. Why don't you listen to reason?" She surprised him letting out an annoyed grunt. Abruptly, she screwed up the page and threw it at the fire. It gently hissed on the hot coals, burnt violently for a moment, and then disintegrated. When she looked up, Lupin was looking at the fire and then her, wide-eyed and thoroughly intrigued.

"Sorry", she said apologetically, pulling up the left arm of her robe and rubbing her arm, making it disappear again a little too quickly. She looked at the floor, disheartened, and continued, "I just get frustrated with all that shit. The signs are all there from last time...why won't the Ministry listen to Dumbledore?" She noticed others at the bar were looking in her direction and leaned closer to Lupin, who obliged. "It's plainly obvious Voldemort is coming back." She then realised what she'd said quickly adding, "Sorry….I forget my manners sometimes. Sorry if I offended- "

"It's quite alright", said Lupin, giving her a small awkward smile but leaning back in his seat reassuringly, slightly surprised at this witch's opinions and courage - or perhaps foolhardiness - at speaking them aloud. "I am not afraid of a name, unlike most others. And neither are you by the sounds of things. But I'd advise you to be a little more careful when saying it to strangers."

She smiled. All Lupin could see of her was her mouth, as her hood hid the rest of her face. Then she let out a small laugh saying, "Or maybe I just have a big mouth."

They both laughed for a little bit, but an awkward silence followed immediately.

"I've seen you here before, haven't I? Always sat next to the fire reading a book. You like to read?" she asked.

This was odd for Lupin. Most people didn't seem to pay attention to him. He'd learnt well how to blend into the background. But this woman had obviously seen him. Noticed him.

"Yes. I've always been interested in books since I was very young…"

He realised that he had been about to tell this woman any number of things about himself, when he didn't even know who she was. She could be someone dangerous. Even if she didn't seem it.

"I'm sorry," he said, "but who are you?"

She looked faintly embarrassed. "Of course, how silly of me. Asking questions without even letting you know who I am. My name is Peertree. Romula Peertree."

"Nice to meet you", he said, shaking her hand. He noticed how smooth her hand felt against his own rough one. Suddenly, she pulled her hand away, drawing the arm of her cloak over it.

Lupin looked confused, but continued. "Remus Lupin. And I'm sorry, but did I do something wrong?"

"No, I…I'm sorry, I just...don't like people touching my skin. Nothing personal", she replied, with an awkward side-ways smile. Lupin couldn't understand. There was nothing wrong with her skin. In fact, it was rather nice, soft skin.

"I'm pretty sure I've seen you with a black dog before, yes?" she asked, to cover the silence.

"Yes, that," he smiled, half laughing, "black dog often comes with me. He likes to get out."

Romula seemed slightly confused but didn't persist. Having broken the ice, they spent quite a while talking across their beer. They talked of books, music and art. They talked of school days. Lupin soon found out that she had been in Gryffindor, a couple of years below him. He discovered that she'd run away a lot as well, but she wouldn't tell him where or why. The number of empty beer bottles on the table swelled. They were beginning to have a heated conversation about their view on the Ministry when suddenly, two burly looking wizards dressed all in black burst into the pub. Both Lupin and Romula turned their heads sharply towards the door. For Lupin it was a shock, but Romula seemed terrified. All the colour in her face faded as soon as she saw them.

"YOU!" the first wizard shouted, pointing firmly at Romula. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?"

"I…I…I didn't do anything, I swear", said Romula, getting up from her seat and shuffling slowly backwards. "You….you m-must have the wrong person."

"Don't lie to me, you half-breed bitch. You attacked him, didn't you."

_Half-breed?_ Lupin thought. Surely she couldn't be…

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, backing further from the advancing wizards. The tallest wizard, who had a shaved head and small dark mustache, grabbed the front of her robes and slammed her back hard against the cold stone wall, making the hood fall from her head. She grunted, and Lupin shot out of his seat, reaching for his pocket just as the other wizard pointed a wand at him.

"Easy, old man," he said, making Lupin burn inside. "This doesn't concern you. Go back to reading your book. We'll be done in a minute", he added with an evil smile.

Lupin might have been called brave, but he wasn't stupid, especially when someone was pointing a wand in his direction. The man motioned with his wand and Lupin sat slowly, his eyes on Romula. He could see her better now. She had thick, chocolate brown hair that was tied back in a simple bun. From what he could see, she had prominent, dark lashes and plump lips. And something else…

"What did you do to him?" the wizard holding Romula continued.

Romula looked terrified as the man stared straight into her eyes. But unexpectedly, she turned her head to face Lupin. Now he could see her clearly; she had two prominent fresh scratches across her left eye and down the left of her nose. The fear from her face was gone. She winked at him.

Turning back to the man, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I gave him what he deserved."

The wizard reached for his wand and put it under Romula's chin.

"You filthy werewo-"

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Romula roared at the man. His wand flew from his hand and clattered to the floor on the other side of the room. Romula was able to push him away enough with her hands so that she could raise her leg and kick him hard in the chest with her big black boots, leaving a muddy footprint. The wizard went flying into the other who was still holding his wand at Lupin. They both crashed into the side of the bar and were left crumpled there, groaning in pain.

Romula was quick to grab her book, give Lupin a quick nod and smile, then bolted out of the pub.

Lupin was stunned. Could she be a werewolf? He couldn't let her leave without talking to her. He took his own book and stuffed it into his robes, taking out his wand as he did. He dashed out of the pub and into the cold night.

"Romula? ROMULA?!" he shouted, hoping she would respond. But she didn't need to. There was a flash of light at the end of the alley way. But this time, it wasn't Romula dealing it. It was another wizard. He was also dressed in black, and he looked, if the glint of silver mask and pointed hood were anything to go by, like a Death Eater.

Lupin didn't hesitate, and swiftly shouted, "Stupefy!"

The Death Eater was flown back a bit by the spell, and lay on the floor motionless, unconscious.

Satisfied that he was out of the way, Lupin rushed over to a heap in the alley which appeared to be the out-cold form of Romula. He turned her over and her eyes rolled back in her head. He checked for a pulse. _Good_, he thought as he felt it beating lightly against his fingers. But what was he to do? _I can't take her to the head quarters_, he thought. _But I can't just leave her here, and she could be useful_. He had no choice. He picked her up in his arms and with a soft crack, he was gone, leaving only a soft bright wisp of light.

Lupin appeared in a darkened corner of the old front yard belonging to 12 Grimmauld Place in London. He hastily ran up the steps to the large front door. He knew the trouble it would cause, but he had no choice. He reached for the large copper door knob and barged open the door. He went as quickly as he could down the narrow hallway, ignoring the shouting coming from the portrait on the wall. Once he got to the kitchen, he was met by the surprised faces of Sirius Black and Bill Weasley, who'd obviously been up for a while drinking some of Sirius's stash of fire whiskey.

"What the…?" said Sirius, wide-eyed. After seeing what Lupin had in his arms, he gave him a boyish grin. "Did you bring that for me, mate? Or is she yours?"

"Shut up, Sirius. Help me get her to the sofa, she's been attacked by a Death Eater. She fought off a couple of others herself, I think."

Sirius's grin faded and he dashed over to Lupin, taking the legs of the woman, and placed her on the sofa at the end of the kitchen.

"Fought off Death Eaters? Blimey. She may have been attacked Moony but…who the hell is she?"

Lupin checked the scratches on her face and pulled up the arm of her robes. He felt the scars there - they were so familiar to him.

He swallowed.

"She's a werewolf."


	2. Grimmauld Place

Thanks to those who gave me reviews for chapter 1. Special thanks to **Mahsa FF**, **heart-VINCEN**T and I forgot for chapter 1 (sorry) **Vickalo999**. All of you helped me a lot in getting the story and this chapter up.

--

She could barely remember what had happened. There was a man. Lupin. There was a fight. Some men dressed in black. A flash of red light. Then all she could feel was pain... which is exactly what she felt now.

Romula could hear voices around her. She could make out three. Two men and a woman. One man had a slightly rough voice, as though he had been living rough for a long time... but somehow, too cultured for a beggar or tramp, whilst the other had a younger, lighter sounding voice. The woman sounded very fretful. But Romula couldn't be exactly sure until she could see all of them.

She cautiously opened her eyes, squinting somewhat at the fading light. _I must have been out for ages_, she thought. At the other end of what appeared to be a kitchen, judging by the stove and long dining table, there were indeed three people. One of the men was darkly good-looking and thin, the other a cool red-head; the plump woman appeared very much to be his mother.

Although these people didn't appear to be an immediate threat, she didn't know who they were or where she was. She knew all too well not to judge people by face value.

She slowly moved herself into a sitting position and reached for the wand that was buried deep inside her robes. She placed her hands on the shabby sofa, lifting herself up, when suddenly she felt an agonizing pain in her right leg.

"Ah, shit!" she cried.

The three people in the room abruptly stopped their conversation and turned their attention to Romula, who was grabbing her leg in pain, gritting her teeth and rocking back and forth in her seat.

"Language, dear. Are you alright?" the woman with the red hair said, moving in Romula's direction.

Romula was able to forget about the pain long enough to pull out her wand and point it bluntly at the strangers, grabbing her right leg with her left hand.

"Where am I? What happened to me?" she demanded, thrusting her wand at them.

"Hey, easy with the wand," the man with the dark hair said. "We're not going to hurt you. We're the good guys."

"Good guys?" Romula asked, slightly puzzled. "Elaborate."

"One of us saved you from Death Eaters," the red-headed man said.

"Lupin?" Romula asked quickly. _A nice man like him__? __S__ave someone like me?_

"Yes. I believe you got quite well acquainted last night," he said, grinning and winking at the tall dark man.

She gave him a less-than-amused look and continued, "So what am I doing here?"

"You got knocked out after one of the Death Eaters blasted you with the Stupefying charm. You hit the wall of the alley hard, hence your leg," he explained, nodding.

Romula lifted up the tattered hem of her robes to the knee, and was horrified to see a huge bruise engulfing the outside and area surrounding it. It made the mass of scars already on her leg look attractive in comparison.

"OK. I can't be sure, but I'll trust my instincts for now and believe that you _are_ the good guys. What're your names? And any chance of a hand up?" she asked with a sideways smile.

"Sorry dear, of course. Go on boys," said the red-haired woman, pushing the men forward. "I'm Mrs. Molly Weasley," she said.

Romula hooked her right arm over the red headed man's shoulder, as he looked her up and down.

Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"And this lovely young man is my son, Bill. Due to be married, would you believe!"

Romula shook her head and hooked her left arm over the other man's shoulder, who treated her similarly as he 'accidentally' touched her breast as he helped her up onto her feet. She slapped his hand and looked angrily at him.

"Sorry, it was an accident, I swear!" the dark haired man said apologetically. "Sirius Black," he added.

Sirius backed away from her slightly, expecting a shocked reaction or a wand in the face.

She just nodded.

"Nice to meet you at last," Romula said. Seeing his confused face she added, "I've read what Dumbledore has said about you being innocent and Peter Pettigrew being the real murderer. Most people think he's crazy but I believe him. I've seen too much to not believe Lord Voldemort is coming back."

Mrs. Weasley and Bill flinched.

"Sorry... forget my manners sometimes," Romula said, leaning on the large table for support.

There was an uncomfortable silence until the sound of the front door opening gently could be heard. Light footsteps echoed down the narrow passage above. Someone was obviously trying to be cautious whilst coming into the house. Romula couldn't understand why, until suddenly the cries of an old woman could be heard in the hallway.

'_Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers-'_

"Shut up, you stupid old hag," Sirius shouted suddenly as he dashed out into the hall-way.

Romula stayed in the kitchen, not knowing if she'd be able to walk well on her own. To her surprise, and what a pleasant one it was, Remus Lupin stepped in the door, followed by Sirius, cursing at his mother's portrait.

Romula smiled. _Finally, a familiar face_.

"Good evening, Miss Peertree," Lupin said, returning her smile with, albeit a more nervous, one of his own. "I've been to get something for your leg," he added, holding up a tattered old bag.

Lupin moved to give her the bag, when suddenly she let go of the kitchen table and fell on his chest.

"Thank you so much, Remus," she said, hugging him tightly. "I might not be here if it wasn't for you."

Lupin looked bewildered and unsure for a moment, but then obliged by putting his arms lightly around her.

"I did only what anyone else would have done under the circumstances," he said awkwardly.

Looking over Romula's shoulder, Lupin could see Bill and Sirius smirking at each other, in fits of silent laughter. He looked at them angrily but it only provoked them further. He hastily pulled away, taking Romula's arms and removing them from his waist.

A cloud of awkwardness sank over the kitchen, highlighted by the rising colour in Lupin's thin cheeks.

"So…" Romula said, breaking the silence. "Before I see to my leg, are you going to tell me what this place is and why you're here?"

The others looked at each other, avoiding her gaze. "What?" said Romula, half laughing. "This some kind of secret organization?"

The others weren't laughing.

"Well," began Bill, scratching his neck, "Yes, basically."

"Oh…" said Romula, wishing she hadn't said anything at all and making a mental note to keep her mouth shut.

"Don't worry," Lupin reassured her with a small smile. "We just need to talk to Dumbledore to check a few things, and then we may be able to tell you more. You could be…" he trailed off, thinking of the right word to say, "useful. But first," he began, moving his lips to her ears. Romula could feel his warm breath on her neck, as he said, "I think there's something we need to discuss…"

She was so mixed up in her own thoughts, she couldn't think what they could possibly need to talk about.

"If you follow me, we can go somewhere more private," said Lupin. He rolled his eyes: Bill and Sirius. "It's just down the hall, but I can help you there if you need me to," he said, holding out his arm for her.

"Thanks," she said, taking hold of his arm. It was thin, but steady when she put her weight on it, and she got the impression of great hidden strength. She threw him brief grin.

As they left the kitchen and went through the hallway, Romula could hear Bill and Sirius laughing their heads off.

The living room was small and dark. Like the rest of the house, this room was dust-filled and dilapidated.

Lupin helped her into a large armchair and closed the huge wooden door. Romula slumped into the chair, still tired even though she had obviously been unconscious for some time; it was dark outside, so she guessed it was evening.

Lupin sat on the tatty old sofa opposite her, and shifted awkwardly.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" she asked, getting slightly impatient. _I could be resting instead of sitting here in silence, _she thought, finding it hard to stay awake.

"I don't want you to be alarmed, Miss Peertree—"

"Romula, please," she said with a smile.

"Romula. I – I know about your condition. You're a werewolf, yes?" he said cautiously, not wanting to upset or scare her. Her smile faded rapidly, along with the colour in her face. She looked terrified, as though he had just said he was going to kill her. She slowly reached for the inside of her robes, seeking her wand. She found the handle and held it, ready.

"How – how did you know?" she said slowly, breathing heavily.

"Your face has scratches on it. And your arm is covered in scars. Would I be right in guessing your chest and back have them too?"

"How…how…?"

Lupin sighed. "I know because I bear the same burden and wear the same reminders of what I am."

He lifted the arm of his tattered tweed jacket to show a line of scars. He hastily hid them again; he hated other people seeing his body. Hell, he didn't even like seeing his _own_ body. He dreaded the moments when he had to look in the mirror or have a shower; they showed him how dangerous he was and how difficult it was to get close to someone. He hated what he was.

Romula looked shocked; her mouth was open and her eyes were wide. _So that's why he took interest in me_, she thought. Then she shifted back in her seat slightly, tightening the grip on her wand.

"What are you going to do to me?" she said, swallowing hard.

Lupin went to get up and move to her. But she flinched and moved as far back in her seat as she could.

Lupin looked puzzled but disheartened. He should have been used to it by now, but something about her made it hit him hard.

Then he gave her a small smile.

"It's OK, we're not going to do anything to you. In fact, I'm rather pleased there's another one of… my _kind_ around here." Then his smile slipped as he said, "Even if she appears to be afraid if me."

"Afraid of you?" she asked, relaxing slightly. "No, no, you misunderstand. Honestly, I'm pleased that I've stumbled across another werewolf too. At least one that doesn't seem to want to hurt innocent people, or get into my pants," she said, laughing. "It's just that, as I'm sure you know, most people don't react well to our kind. I was worried… maybe you wanted to do something to me… or… or maybe kill me," she said, looking at the floor and scratching her neck.

Lupin rose from his seat and knelt in front of her. She didn't flinch this time, she just continued staring at the floor. Lupin placed his hand on hers and she looked up before she could stop herself. She stared into his eyes. They were kind, caring, understanding eyes. She could tell he'd seen so much in his life, just as she had. _He didn't deserve to have seen that much_, she thought sadly. _Not in the way I deserve it_.

"I know what it feels like, Romula" he said, giving her a warm, reassuring smile. "And I'm glad I've found someone who understands how I feel."

She smiled back at him, leaned forward, and kissed him on the cheek.

Lupin's whole body tingled. It had been so long since he'd even hugged a woman, let alone have one kiss him. He wasn't happy deceiving women. He was a werewolf, and if they were to go into a relationship blind to that, he was as bad as the monster within him. Unfortunately, telling girls you're a werewolf doesn't often result in declarations of undying love. Since a couple of bad relationships in his youth, he'd given up all hope of ever being that close to a woman again. He couldn't face the pain and sadness, and the rejection.

Lupin was just savouring the moment when—

"What's going on here then?" said a grinning Sirius, leaning lazily against the door frame.

Romula pulled her face away in one sharp movement, and Lupin sprang to his feet, blushing like mad.

"We were… I was—"

"I was just thanking Remus for his help yesterday," Romula finally said, giving Sirius a very matter-of-fact, stern look.

"I bet you were," Sirius answered, winking at Lupin.

"Sirius… I mean… Merlin, what's wrong with you!?" Lupin yelled angrily at him.

Sirius and Romula were shocked. Sirius especially. He'd never seen his friend this annoyed over one of his many sexual innuendos before. Lupin was even shocked himself, staggering back slightly at his own animosity.

"Sorry, Moony, I was… " Sirius trailed off, before quickly exiting the room without another sound.

"Thank you, Remus," said Romula, giving him a warm smile. "But you didn't need to do that. I'm used to men like him. Only he seems to be unique… most men stop after they find out what I am. I guess you've told him and the others?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. But they had to know who you were, and why I'd brought you here. I couldn't leave you without checking you were OK."

He opened his mouth to say something else, but Romula got there first. "It's quite alright," she said, raising from her seat and moving over to Lupin slowly, having to limp.

When she reached him, she placed her hand on his chest and whispered softly in his ear. He could feel every word.

"I understand, Remus."

She smiled at him, and limped slowly away, back towards the kitchen.

Lupin put his hand on the side of his face where she'd just been. It was still warm due to the kiss and that he was blushing like mad. He felt like his legs had been replaced by jelly. There was only one thing he could think of to say.

"Wow."

--

Well, I hope you liked it! Took me a while to try and make it less boring... hopefully you're all interested enough to read on ;) R&R please :)


	3. Dinner with Dumbledore and Remus' Rear

Sorry this has taken so long! Eep! I've been busy job hunting and spending time with the family. Anyway, here it is. It's a bit shorter than usual... about 1000 words shorter in fact... oh well, I hope you all enjoy it and like the air of mystery involved. Plus some Remus arse action, whoop whoop!

As always, thanks to **Mahsa**! You're a star :)

--

With the sweet taste of Lupin – of _Remus_ - on her lips, Romula stumbled into the narrow hall-way, this time taking in her surroundings. As she leant on the walls for support, large amounts of dust and debris collected on her hands that she had to forcibly shake off. Bits of wallpaper were ripped and torn in all corners and mould was growing on the ceiling. Romula couldn't fathom as to why a house with a fair few people living in it could be in such bad condition.

As she came to the kitchen door, the smell of roasting chicken caught Romula like the smell of a fragrant rose. It had been such a long time since she had eaten properly, she began to salivate furiously like the wolf inside of her.

In the kitchen, everyone was sat at the table in heated discussion, except Mrs Weasley and Bill who were moving around serving food. There were two more people in the room that Romula had not seen before. One seemed to be an older, more worn version of Bill and Romula deduced that this was Mr Weasley. At the head of the table sat an old wizard with a large white beard and half-moon glasses. Romula could recognise him anywhere. Everyone looked in her direction as she walked into the kitchen.

"Ah, Miss Peertree!" said Dumbledore in a booming voice. "How nice to meet you. Mrs. Weasley has told me all about you of course. I'm-"

"Dumbledore... " whispered Romula, mouth open in shock.

Mrs Weasley frowned at her. "Close your mouth, dear, before the wind changes."

Romula shook her head and came back to reality. What could Dumbledore possibly think of her? Gawking at him like that. And what had Mrs Weasley told him? _Everything?_ She was sure he would understand her condition... why would Remus be there otherwise?

"Sorry... forget my manners sometimes," she said finally, giving Dumbledore an embarrassed, half-smile.

Dumbledore simply returned it with a warm, accepting one. Something about him just made her feel so at ease.

"Come on everybody, in your seats, dinner's ready!" Mrs Weasley shouted, breaking the silence and causing everyone to jump.

"If you would, Miss Peertree," said Dumbledore, motioning to his left.

Romula obliged and took her seat to Mr Weasley's right. Mrs Weasley sat next to her husband, and Bill joined Sirius on the other side of the table. Romula wondered where Remus was until, as though answering her call, he walked through the kitchen door with bright red cheeks.

"My, Remus, you look a little flustered. Are you feeling okay?" asked a concerned Mrs Weasley who had turned to see him enter the room.

"Oh... yes, I'm f-fine thank you, Molly," Remus stammered.

As he walked over to take his seat next to Sirius, Romula couldn't help but admire his lean figure, perhaps spending a little too long admiring his behind.

All through the meal, Romula couldn't help but glance at him across the table, and she had the distinct impression that her glances were being returned. Although she'd only just met him, something about him just made her have butterflies. _Is it werewolf instinct?_ she thought.

The feast that Mrs Weasley had prepared was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. Perfectly roasted chicken and potatoes, topped off with just the right amount of vegetables and gravy. Mrs Weasley was a culinary genius, and Romula had to tell her so after she'd finished devouring her meal.

"Thank you dear," she said, blushing a little at the compliment. "I thought you might need some decent food; you're looking a bit peaky!"

If it was anyone else, Romula would probably have hexed them at least, but she had a feeling this was Mrs Weasley's way of being kind.

After the dishes were cleared away, everyone stayed at the table to talk. In Romula's case, she was asked what she had been dreading to answer.

"Miss Peertree... " Dumbledore started.

"Romula, please," Romula insisted, again.

"Romula... I think there's a matter we need to discuss. What exactly happened the night that Remus found you? Why were the Death Eaters trying to attack you?"

Now everyone was looking in her direction. She wasn't sure what to say. All these people had shown her such trust and amazing hospitality without even knowing her that well. Surely she should show them the same...

"Well... I was underground with some of the other werewolves. I had nowhere else to sleep you see," she added, responding to the surprised looks given to her. "Then the Death Eaters came underground, along with Fenrir Greyback, trying to get us to join them. I was the only one that said no and... well, to cut a lot of unpleasantness out, I ended up hurting one of them quite badly whilst trying to escape. Saying no to the Death Eaters is a bad idea... I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time..."

She felt ashamed and just stared thoughtfully at the table, not wanting to see the others staring at her. She didn't want to relive what had happened down there. Tears began to form in her eyes, until Mr Weasley put a reassuring arm over her small shoulders.

"It's okay love... there's not much you could have done."

She raised her head and looked at Dumbledore, hoping for some words of comfort, but he seemed to be in deep thought.

Finally he raised his head and asked, "I suppose you're not much of a Voldemort fan, are you?"

Romula shook her head quickly and replied, "No, not at all. I've always believed you Dumbledore... the minister is a moron for thinking the Dark Lord isn't back!"

Dumbledore smiled at her thoughtfully, "Thank you, Romula. Just one more person who believes me gives hope for our cause. I wonder..." he said, stroking his long white beard, "Would you like to join us in helping to bring down Voldemort?"

Romula's mouth opened wide once more. _Am I really being accepted by these people?_ _Maybe I should have been more straight with them..._

"I... I... I mean, of course! Thank you so much," she said, bounding from her chair and giving Dumbledore a small hug.

Sirius and Bill looked at each other, sniggering at the confused and shocked look on Dumbledore's face.

After realising that she'd just hugged the greatest wizard of the time without warning, she quickly stepped back and apologised profusely.

"No problem at all. It's not like me to pass on the offer of a hug from a young witch!" he said, giving her a cheerful smile. "Now, Molly, I must go I'm afraid. Thank you for the lovely meal, and it was a pleasure to meet you, Romula. Welcome to the Order."

Dumbledore shook her hand, and gave the others a polite nod before walking into the fireplace and disappearing in a flash of green flames.

"Now, Romula, you must be exhausted," said Mrs Weasley.

Romula nodded. Although she had been unconscious for some time, the pain in her leg and the resulting limping had made her feel very drained.

"Remus, if you would take her to the spare room please. There are some old bed clothes of mine in there you can borrow if you like."

Romula's heart skipped a beat. _Another chance to be alone with him._

Remus blushed slightly again. "Of course. Romula, if you'll follow me please," he said, rising from his seat.

Romula followed him out of the kitchen and up the equally as grotty stairs. She was hoping to get a hand up the stairs, but the staircase was so narrow, there was no chance of being able to hold on to Remus.

Along the walls were an awful sight of house elves in jars. Luckily, she had something else in front of her to look at. She looked up at his lean frame as he walked up the stairs, hoping that he wouldn't catch her glancing at his behind again. It was so lovely, so firm, so...

"Romula... "

She was so deep in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed he'd stopped and she'd walked straight into him, making her jump slightly and fall backwards.

"Romula!" Remus cried, as she began to fall back.

He grabbed her waist firmly just in time before she fell down the stairs. He held her there in his arms whilst looking into her deep blue eyes. Both were breathing heavily. Romula saw Remus's eyes drop, almost guiltily, to her chest, which was rising and falling rapidly.

Romula moved her head forwards, she was so close, she could feel his breath on her lips...

Suddenly, Remus quickly spun her around and let go of her by the door, just as fast as he had caught her.

"Er... well, this is th-the room then. I-I'm sure you'll find everything you n-need in there," he said, pointing to the door.

Romula looked disappointed and stared at the floor.

"Oh... okay. Thanks," she said, opening the door as Remus started walking downstairs.

"Remus?" she called to him suddenly.

Surprised, he turned and replied, "Yes?"

She smiled at him.

"Thank you for catching me."

Romula walked into the room and closed the door.

Remus stared at the closed door, a smile hovering on his lips. _Anytime, for you._ He walked downstairs, cheerfully humming to himself.

--

Please R&R! Cookies and banana cake for those who do!


	4. Shopping Rage

Hello! Sorry for the tad lateness again... still job hunting... plus I bought a dolls house! Anyway, here it is, a lot longer than the last one. Not sure if that's good or bad but oh well. Enjoy!

--

Romula woke with sunbeams shining into her room at Grimmauld Place. It was a smallish room, with dark walls, just like the rest of the house. There was minimal furniture; a wardrobe with three draws at the bottom, and a small double bed. Despite the dilapidated room, the bed was amazingly comfortable, or at least it seemed that way to Romula, who hadn't slept in a proper bed for weeks.

She stretched in the bed, enjoying its comfort for another moment, before throwing off the duvet and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Once again, she'd found that the bottom half of her bedclothes had come off in the night; Molly was a lot more ample than Romula. 'Cuddly', as Mr Weasley had described it. She contemplated sleeping in just her pants a couple of times, but decided against it after an unfortunate 'accident' where Sirius ended up bursting into her room.

It had been about a week since Romula had joined the Order of the Phoenix, and so far she hadn't been needed for anything. Her days were spent mainly reading in her room or tidying the house, much to the protest of Kreacher. _Filthy beast, touching my mistress' house with her claws, infecting the house of Black,_ he would say. The others had told her that it wasn't necessary, but she felt so useless otherwise. She felt impelled to return the kindness they had showed her, especially now her leg had healed, and cleaning was the only thing she could think of. She had the feeling that Dumbledore and the rest of the Order didn't quite trust her yet. At first she thought she was being treated differently because of her condition, but Remus was sent out many times for 'missions,' so this logic didn't make sense. Cleaning was the only thing that kept her busy during the day.

The nights were equally as boring, although dinner was something to look forward to every day. Romula rather hoped that some one, especially a certain member of the Order, might have asked her to go out to a club or pub, but so far, no such luck.

She looked out of the window at the autumn leaves; they were so beautiful this time of the year. They made her smile, which gave her all the enthusiasm she needed to get dressed and face the new day.

When asked by the others if she had any possessions she had to get, she truthfully said no. All she had with her was a book and her wand. She only had one set of robes also... she kept meaning to go and get some more with the small amount of money she had in an account at Gringott's, but had no real reason to get more whilst she was able to wash hers everyday.

Other than the huge, deep purple robe she owned, she had only a long, thick, dark green dress that dragged on the ground and hooked over the middle finger of each of hand, covering her completely. She didn't like people seeing her scarred body. She especially didn't like people looking at her arms.

Once she was dressed, Romula went downstairs for breakfast. She had no idea what time it was... it was light, and that's all that mattered to her.

When she arrived at the entrance to the kitchen, she heard people in the kitchen in heated discussion. Any other time, she would have just walked right in and joined them, but she heard part of the conversation that made her choose to stay outside unseen…

"…looking at you, so why don't you just ask her out? She obviously fancies you, mate," said Sirius.

The next voice that spoke was so soft and reassuring, it gave her butterflies.

"Don't be a moron, Sirius. I know that's a difficult task for you, but- ow!"

Romula heard what she thought could be a friendly punch and giggled. She threw her hand over her mouth and prayed to Merlin that they hadn't heard her.

"_ANYWAY_, like I was saying," Remus continued, "I'm too old and poor for anyone like her to even care a thought about."

The butterflies rapidly flew away as a horrible knot formed in her stomach.

"Too old? Now you're being the stupid one. She's only a couple of years younger than you, Remus!"

"Well, I'm certainly too poor! Have you seen the quality of her robes? Much more than I could afford," said a sad, yet defensive sounding Remus.

Romula looked at her robes and felt the insides. If only he knew how ripped and disheveled they were on the inside…

"Has it escaped your notice that they are in fact the _only_ robes she's worn since she's been here? No, I guess you've been too busy imagining her without them!"

"Sirius! Merlin's beard… you never stop, do you! Look… I think she's an amazing woman but… I'm too… she's too… too-"

"Werewolfy?" said Sirius, mockingly. "Come on, you're just making up excuses now."

Remus didn't reply. Romula heard him let out a long sigh.

Silence followed briefly, until Sirius slammed his hands down on the table and said suddenly, "Remus, stop being a pansy and ask her out, for Merlin's sake!"

Romula burst into giggles again, but Remus failed to respond. She imagined his jaw dropping, just like hers had when she'd first met Dumbledore.

"Remus, _you_," said Sirius, pausing slightly, "are a coward."

"Coward?! Just because I haven't thrown myself at her, doesn't mean I'm a coward!" he said defensively.

"Then prove it!" said Sirius, almost pleading.

"Fine! I'll ask her out for a drink. Nothing more, just a drink. Will that shut you up?"

"For a while, yeah," said Sirius, who Romula could imagine had a big grin on his face.

She felt it was time to enter, but made sure she did it with as much grace and elegance she could muster.

She floated into the kitchen and was satisfied with the mixed looks of surprise, embarrassment and lust.

"Good morning, boys," she said confidently.

Neither of them said a word as she made her way over to the kettle in order to make herself some tea. She glanced at the clock and saw that it read _9.35_. She smiled; she still had the rest of the day for Remus to ask her for a drink.

They seemed to have snapped out of their dream-like trance, as Sirius nudged his friend with his elbow.

"Oh, uh… g-good morning, R-Romula," he stuttered in nervousness.

She saw Sirius give a 'gone-on' stare to Remus, and allowed herself a small laugh.

"Any p-plans for today?" he asked.

"Oh, just the usual," she continued casually, placing bread in the toaster. "You know… eating, reading, cleaning, sleeping."

"Oh, that's good-ow!" said Remus: Sirius' subtle attempt at kicking him under the table. Romula could just about see Remus mouthing 'okay' rather pointedly at Sirius.

"Romula…" he began.

"Yes?" she said again, casually, an air of dreaminess on her voice.

"Would you?" he said. He drew a deep sigh and stood up. Finally, Romula decided to face the flustered man.

"Would-you-like-to-come-for-a-drink?" he blurted out, so quickly she was barely able to make out what he'd said. Then he added, "With me, that is. Tonight?"

Romula smiled at him widely, so pleased he'd finally asked, even if it was with a little help from Sirius. Then she changed her expression to a mock thinking pose.

"I'm not sure… I might have to check my diary…"

Remus seemed disappointed, looking at the table and saying, "Oh… okay then, don't worry-"

"Of course I will, silly!" she said, grinning at him.

He gave her a small smile and seemed to be slightly annoyed, but quite relieved.

"Say… tonight at eight?" she asked.

He slowly nodded, blushing slightly.

"Great! See you then," she said, smiling.

Before leaving the room, Romula went to Remus and kissed him on the cheek, wanting to feel him close again. She was certain she felt him tremble slightly as her soft lips touched his warm skin. She completely forgot she'd left her breakfast behind.

She felt a great warmth rise inside of her as she left the room. She had been itching to leave the house since she had gotten there. The house seemed very dead, even with so many people inhabiting it, and when they left, it became awfully eerie.

As Romula made her way to her room, she knew that Remus couldn't see her in the same robes again. Not tonight. She felt her womanly instincts fill her as she decided: she _had_ to have new robes. And there was only one place to get them.

She grabbed her purple robe and threw it around herself. She hurried downstairs and out of the front door, leaving Sirius to tackle his mother's portrait that hurled abuse at her as she passed.

Once she was outside, Romula was able concentrate on the bustling street, the rows upon rows of colourful shops. She spun on the spot and felt an unpleasant squeezing sensation.

When she landed, she instantly felt the warmth and excitement rise from Diagon Alley.

She loved the place; the atmosphere, the people, and of course, as any real woman would say, the shopping.

She made her way quickly to '_Madame Malkin's:__ Robes for All Occasions_.'

She decided that the best thing to do would be to find some decent clothes and match them with some simple shoes. But then she saw something that caught her eye.

They were very unusual ankle boots. They had a kind of alligator feel leather upper, which had a zip fastener on the inside. The toe was covered in black suede with prominent bronze coloured stitching. On the outside of each boot was a large black suede bow, each with a large wolf-head brooch in the middle with amber eyes.

They were absolutely perfect, and Romula prayed to Merlin that she would get to them before anyone else did.

The shop was fairly busy with wizards and witches buying new apparel, and students buying spare robes because they had already practically destroyed their new ones at Hogwart's.

Romula moved through the bustling groups of people, pushing a few in the process. She had her eye on the goal and was so close. She reached down to pick them up… and another hand took them. Romula was _furious_.

She stood up and faced the owner of the thieving hands; a short, tubby woman with graying hair and a round face. She stroked the shoes with her sausage-like fingers, grinning evilly at Romula.

Romula stood up and placed her hands on her hips, trying to make herself look as intimidating as possible.

"Ex-_cuse _me," said Romula through narrow eyes, "But you appear to have picked up _my_ boots."

The old witch cackled.

"_Your_ boots?" she said mockingly, "_Yours? _I don't see them in _your _hands!"

Romula scowled at her, trying to keep the wolf within her at bay.

"Listen," she said, getting closer to the witch who, with an even eviler smile, copied Romula's actions. Romula flinched as she smelt dirty cat litter and mould on the witch's robes.

"If you give me back _my_ boots, I will forget that this has ever happened and save _you_ from a lot of pain," she said as calmly as she could.

The old witch cackled again.

"What is a _puny_ little witch going to do to me!?" she laughed, with pure delight in her face at Romula's battle.

"This."

Romula looked around to make sure that they were alone and unseen in the corner, and lifted the sleeve of her robes and dress to reveal her left arm to the witch. All of the colour from the witch's face drained completely and her delighted expression was replaced by one of repulsion, dread, _fear_.

She looked Romula in the face, who was now smiling from the corner of her mouth. She didn't say another word, dropping the boots and making a swift exit. Romula watched as the woman left, making sure that she didn't look back.

_I thought so._

Once she was satisfied that she would have no more trouble, she quickly yanked the sleeves down from her clothes and picked up the boots; they were definitely what she wanted.

Now that she had the boots, all she had to do was find something to go with them. Of course, she needed to wear some sort of dress or skirt in order for her boots to be seen.

Not wanting to go through the same hassle as she'd had with the boots, Romula gained Madame Malkin's help in choosing what else to wear.

"Now, dear, something '_sexy_' you said, yes?" said Madame Malkin, smiling at Romula.

Romula felt somewhat… uncomfortable. She simply nodded.

"And something to match those boots, no doubt. Hmmm… I'd say with a lovely curvy figure like yours, you should go with something tight fitting. Maybe a V neck to define your large bosoms?" she asked, smiling yet again.

Romula nodded, becoming red in her cheeks.

"A knee length skirt and a blouse?" suggested Madame Malkin.

She browsed the racks of clothing, apparently in the knowledge of what she was going to find for Romula. Finally, she came back with a tweed, knee length, straight cut skirt and a fitted beige blouse.

She showed them to Romula, who looked at the clothes willingly, but felt disappointed at the length of the skirt; she was hoping it would be longer.

She leaned to Madame Malkin and whispered something in her ear, hoping that she would understand. To her relief, she smiled again, sympathetically.

"I see… well," she said, browsing the items on the wall near the changing room. She handed the clothes the Romula and went to the underwear.

"Here," she said, taking a pair of black tights off the walls and adding them to pile of clothes that Romula was holding.

Romula was nudged into the changing room by Madame Malkin who closed the curtains behind her.

The cubicle was very small, Romula almost felt claustrophobic.

"Come on then, dear, I haven't got all day, more people to see!" said a female voice behind her.

She jumped and found that the full-length mirror was _talking _to her; she'd forgotten about them since her Hogwart's days.

"Strip!" commanded the mirror.

Romula felt very nervous; the mirror was enchanted to tell the truth and she had no idea what it would say if it saw her scars.

"I-I don't r-really like… well, _anyone _looking at me w-without c-clothes on," she stuttered.

The mirror seemed to understand.

"Okay, okay, I'll turn around. Just hurry up!"

Romula wondered exactly how a mirror could turn around by itself until it did exactly that; the string attached to it swung on the big metal hook it was put over and all she could see was the wood on the other side.

Romula got dressed as quickly and carefully as she could, spending a while trying to make herself look as sexy as she believed she could be.

"I'm ready," she told the mirror.

When the mirror spun back around, she was stunned at what she saw; the short length of the skirt made her legs look long and elegant, yet the shirt accented her curvy hips and did wonders for her generous breasts.

Although here was a prominent scar going from her collarbone to her waist, it was hidden by the array of her features.

She couldn't believe what she saw; she was beautiful.

She plumped up her thick, chocolate brown hair, making it cascade into her pale face. She made the sexiest pose she could at the mirror, pouting her lips.

She gave herself a satisfied smile.

"I'm going to blow his fucking mind."

--

Hope you liked it. If you notice and strange bits in the story where they're repeating themselves, please let me know. Word was doing weird things. I'm off to Portugal tomorrow so I won't be writing for a bit. Hope this keeps you going. R&R as always please!


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